Leap of Faith
by RoaringMice
Summary: On a mission, things spiral out of Trip’s control.
1. Chapter 1

_Please leave reviews. I love reviews. Let me know that you read this, and what you thought._

_Disclaimer: I don't own it, I make no money from it. Not written for profit, simply for pleasure._

x-x

Trip entered the cavern to see Malcolm with his back to the crowd. He was poised on the edge of the pit and looking down into the darkness.

Trip tried to go to him, but felt himself grabbed and held in place. As he watched, his heart racing, a single peal rang out from a gong behind him, the sound echoing through the dim chamber. Flames from the torches on the walls illuminated Malcolm at the edge of the deep crater.

The echoes stopped, and there was silence.

Trip, no longer struggling, softly said one word. "Malcolm."

Malcolm looked back over his shoulder. His eyes softened, and he smiled. Then, still looking at Trip, he fell forward.

Trip watched in numb shock as Malcolm disappeared.

x-x

"Something wrong, Malcolm?" Trip asked as the lieutenant muttered something under his breath and impatiently brushed a branch away from his face. The bushes along the edge of their path were in full bloom, and Trip ran his fingers along one tendril full of flowers, enjoying the softness of the petals against his skin. Plithia flowers, he thought their guide had called them, although he had to admit it had been kind of hard to understand the man.

As they continued walking, Malcolm turned to him and quietly said, "You know I've never been one for this sort of 'forced fun', Commander."

"Forced fun?" Trip asked. "What? This?" He looked at the woods around them, the sky above them a sparkling blue. "I know that we were - well, encouraged to take this tour between appointments. But it could be worse - we could be sitting in some room in some stuffy office building while we wait to meet with their leader. And it's a lovely day, beautiful scenery." He smiled at Malcolm. "It's almost like a forest on Earth, if you forgive the purple leaves on the trees." At Malcolm's look of doubt, Trip shrugged. "They did say that this wood was important to them."

Malcolm nodded, but didn't look convinced.

"I mean, there are worse things we could be doing than taking a guided tour of some woods while we wait," Trip added.

"Such as?" Malcolm asked.

Trip thought quickly. "Cleaning intake manifolds."

Malcolm glanced at him, then brushed aside another branch. "Realigning the targeting scanners," he finally added, deadpan.

"Scraping gum off the bottoms of tables."

"When did you do that?"

Trip winced. "In school, worked in a bar. My job was to go in at 5:30 a.m. to get rid of the gum from the night before."

"Lovely," Malcolm said.

"So things could be worse," Trip said.

"And we are so rarely off-ship," Malcolm said with a ghost of a smile.

"Yup," Trip responded. Raising one hand, he indicated the others with the guide, who had come to a stop just up the path from them. "And the Captain and Hoshi seem to be having a good time."

"They have been chatting away, haven't they?" Malcolm said with a genuine smile now. "I knew that Hoshi enjoyed horticulture, but the Captain?"

Trip dropped his voice to a near-whisper. "I think he's just trying to be diplomatic."

As they caught up to the group, the guide asked them a question. "Ah, Mr. Commandertriptucker, Mr. lieutenantMalcolmreed, lovely lovely to be enjoying all leaves, flowers, yes, woods?"

"Erm, yes," Malcolm responded. Trip simply smiled. They'd been having trouble with the translations of the language used by these people since they'd met them, although things had gotten significantly better over the course of the day. Hoshi, frowning, made yet another adjustment to the translation device in her hand.

The guide smiled, the blueness of his sharp, pointed teeth a shock against the orange-tone of his skin. "And I noticed you, Commander, seemed to enjoy the Plithia flowers, yes?"

Trip raised both eyebrows, surprised at the sudden clearness of the translation. "Yes, they were lovely," he said, casting a glance in Hoshi's direction.

Hoshi looked up from the device, beaming at the improvement.

Archer smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "This entire walk has been absolutely beautiful, and a welcome break for us."

The guide nodded. "Sorrily I must bring ending..."

Hoshi frowned and made a quick adjustment to the translator.

"...to our walk," the guide said. "As you know, our forests, and this one in particular, have special significance to my people." He waved them forward, and they began walking again. "There was a time when we Osoba were enmeshed in darkness. We'd been through several wars, and in the end, our entire culture was focused on destruction and death." He shook his head. "It wasn't until a group of us worked to restore the ecology of our world, starting with this small forest, that we began to see the light again. Even now, not everyone -"

Trip heard a "snick", then felt a soft whoosh. Malcolm pushed him to the ground and he fell as the world went black around him.

x-x

Please review and let me know what you think so far.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for your reviews so far. More, please?_

_Kathy Rose was the wonderful beta for this story. _

x-x

"Commander?"

Someone was talking, and Trip felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Trip?"

Trip felt a soft hand against his face, then it moved away. Disoriented, he realised that he was lying on his back, his body cold from the - rock? He thought he was lying on a cold, smooth stone surface. That was odd; he'd just been in a forest. He sniffed in - dampness, and dirt, and -

He opened his eyes to see rock above him, torchlight reflecting from its roughly carved surface. A cave, he thought. Okay, right.

He heard a whispered voice nearby. "He's awake." Hoshi.

"I'm awake," he replied, surprised to hear how rough his voice sounded. He tried to sit up, only to feel a hand against his shoulder, pressing him back.

"One moment, please, Commander," Malcolm said, moving so that Trip could see him. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Trip replied, smiling at the expression on Malcolm's face. "Really, Malcolm, I'm good." He sat up slowly, his back stiff from the cold, hard floor. "How long have I been out?" he asked, rubbing his neck, then rolling his shoulders.

"Not long," Malcolm replied. "Maybe a quarter hour."

"What happened?"

Archer's voice came from behind him. "We were attacked -"

Trip interrupted. "Is everyone okay?"

Hoshi winced. "We're all fine, but our guide..." she let her voice drift away.

Trip nodded and tried to stand. Malcolm helped him up as Archer moved to his side. "The group who attacked us transported us to this location," the Captain said. "We seem to be underground, in a series of caves. We passed through a large cavern just before they put us in this alcove," he said, indicating the small space around them.

"Any idea who these people are?" Trip asked as he looked around the tiny space, noticing carvings along the walls. He moved closer and squatted down to see them better in the torchlight. Each drawing seemed to depict some sort of ritual. Trip saw pictures of a pit ringed by Osoba, all of them looking down into it. He ran a hand along that carving to the next image, which showed one person jumping up into the air above the hole. Another showed some sort of ethereal figure hovering while holding a four-lobed flower. He pulled out his scanner and began to take some readings.

"No," Archer replied as Trip worked. "They haven't told us anything yet."

Trip was about to ask another question when a rumble of voices and movement came from behind him. He turned with the others just a group of four Osoba, three of whom were carrying some sort of weapons, stopped in the opening of the alcove.

Before any of the Osoba could speak, the Captain stepped forward. "I am Jonathan Archer, of the star -"

"We know who you are," one of the Osoba said, cutting Archer off. He frowned, then pointed to the captain. "Archer." Then he pointed at each of them in turn. "Sato. Reed. Tucker. I am Samul." He smiled at Trip, but his smile did not reach his eyes. Nodding at the scanner in Trip's hand, he said, "You will hand over your technology."

Trip glanced to Archer, who nodded slightly, and Trip held out the device. One of Samul's counterparts reached out to take it, but missed. He got it on the second grasp.

"And the rest," Samul said coldly. "Including your weapons. We will search you afterwards."

Trip and the others handed over the rest of their devices. As Hoshi held out the translation device, Archer said, "We need to keep this. It allows us to understand what you are saying."

Samul nodded sharply. As his people moved forward and began searching them, Trip watched one of the men leave with their items, returning moments later. That meant the devices probably weren't taken far, Trip thought. As alien hands roamed over his body, Trip caught Malcolm's eye. Malcolm glanced towards the man who had just returned, then nodded.

Samul waved his hand and his counterparts pocketed their weapons. "I apologize for that," he said. "We do not usually need weapons here. The dangers of the caves are often enough to prevent unexpected visitors." He gave them a twisted smile.

"Why did you bring us here?" Archer asked sharply.

"When we heard on the newsfeeds that you were touring our most precious forest, well, we just couldn't pass up that opportunity." Samul leaned forward conspiratorially. "It was just a bit...too...good." Then he leaned back. "We are a small group, but we have big plans, eh?" The Osoba around him smiled. One of them snickered.

Trip exchanged a glance with Malcolm again. While he was no expert on the Osoba, this particular group did strike him as being a bit off.

Samul went on. "We plan to use your capture to discredit our government. After all, it was a triumph for them, meeting with humans from Earth, but they were unfortunately unable to protect you, eh?" He frowned. "So sad." His minions laughed, and one of them shoved the person next to him, who shoved him back.

Trip let out a ragged breath. There was a nervous energy in the room, an edginess that had been ramping up steadily as Samul spoke. These folks seemed kind of high-strung, almost twitchy. Whatever was wrong, they weren't acting like the others they'd met on the planet.

From beside him, Hoshi asked, "What are you planning to do with us?"

Samul smiled. "Oh, don't worry, little one. We have plans for you." He looked from her to Archer, then back. "Perhaps something very special, involving you two who are so outspoken?" He gave a slight shrug. "You can wander as you wish. Just don't go too far - these caves have a way of making people disappear." He raised one hand and blew on his fingers with a "puff." He laughed, turning his back on them and leaving the alcove, the rest of his gang following.

Once he was sure Samul was out of earshot, Trip turned to Archer. "There is something seriously wrong with those people."

"They seem rather unpredictable," Malcolm said.

Archer nodded. "Trip, Malcolm, see if you can find our communicators and weapons."

Trip said, "I think that they're stored somewhere just outside this room. That guy didn't go far."

"How much time before we are due to report back to Enterprise?" Hoshi asked, her voice shaky.

Trip gave her a weak smile. "Another three hours yet."

"So they'll probably realise that something happened by that point," she replied.

"Let's not wait," Malcolm said, striding to the alcove opening and looking out into the room beyond. After a moment he waved them forward, and they all stepped out into a large cavern.

Trip took a quick look around. There were several dozen Osoba in the space, most gathered into small groups, none paying them the least bit of attention. Trip watched as the three people closest to them said some low words in unison, splitting some sort of flower-like object into sections and eating it. As he watched, he saw one of them stumble a bit and lean against the wall. After a moment, she slid down to the floor, a contented smile on her face. One of her friends laughed.

Trip stepped to Malcolm's side. "What they're eating looks a lot like the flower in their carvings."

Malcolm nodded. "I've noticed several of the groups doing the same. I believe it has something to do with their odd behavior."

As a woman walked by, Hoshi said, "Excuse me."

"Yes?" the woman asked, stopping suddenly. Now that Trip knew to look, he could clearly see what he thought must be signs of drug use in her bloodshot eyes and slightly jerky movements.

"I'm Hoshi."

"Beata," the woman replied.

"What are those people doing?" Hoshi asked her, pointing towards one of the groups where they were splitting a flower.

"Ah, that's our narkotzowac sie." At Hoshi's obvious puzzlement, Beata smiled. "We use the zastrzyk to bring us closer to our smierc."

Hoshi made a quick adjustment to the translator and looked up. "Could you repeat that, please?"

Beata nodded, and reached into her pocket, holding out one of the flower-like objects. "We use the drug to bring us closer to our deaths..."

Hoshi blinked rapidly and made another adjustment.

"...and to our spirituality," the woman finished. "We use the drug to help us see more clearly, behind the veil." She smiled again. "To bring us closer to our death."

Hoshi frowned. "It kills you?"

Beata laughed. "No, it doesn't kill us. It just helps us prepare for the leap. Gets us closer to the death-spirits, helps us honor them, you know."

"Is it harmful?"

"What? This?" The woman asked, raising the flower. "No. Well - not really, not for most."

"Is it addictive?"

"Addictive?" Beata asked, obviously puzzled.

"Can you stop taking it if you want to?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. No one ever wants to." She held the flower towards Hoshi. "Want some?"

"Oh, no. Thank you."

As Beata walked away, Hoshi turned back to the others, eyebrow raised.

"You should have gotten some for Phlox," Trip said wryly.

Hoshi just gave him a look.

"Odd that everyone here is so focused on taking that drug," Malcolm said, his gaze taking in all the people in the room.

Hoshi nodded. "Well, what she said implied that it's an important part of some sort of death ritual. The guide had told me all about the Osoba's former focus on death. I wonder if this group is some sort of throwback?"

Trip heard voices coming closer and looked up to see Samul and his crew striding towards them. As he approached, Samul pointed first to Archer, then to Hoshi. As he walked by, the two of them were grabbed and dragged along, and Trip found himself surrounded by Osoba, holding him back as he and Malcolm struggled to reach their friends.

x-x

_Please review and let me know what you think so far. Thanks!_


	3. Chapter 3

_I'm grateful for all the reviews. Keep 'em coming!_

x-x

"What in the hell are you doing to them?" Trip shouted. He tried to pull away from his captors as he entered the crowded, torchlit space and saw Hoshi and Archer across the room from him, arms bound behind them, mouths gagged, their toes lined up along the edge of a crater. The Osoba released him suddenly and he stumbled to the pit's edge, peering down into the darkness below. He blinked in shock and turned to Malcolm, seeing his own frantic worry reflected in his friend's eyes.

Samul stepped from behind the crowd of Osoba. "Normally, one of us is willing to take the leap, but we have been especially blessed by your presence."

Trip turned back to his friends. He could see the panic in Hoshi's eyes, the firmness in Archer's. He looked down into the depths below him and saw nothing but darkness. "You're talking about killing them," he said, his shock stripping all inflection from his voice.

"They will jump." Samul shrugged. "Or be pushed, it doesn't matter. Either will be an acceptable sacrifice to the spirits."

"Spirits?" Malcolm asked from beside him, clearly alarmed. "How -"

"Our spirits are the ones of death," Samul said. "It is their aim, their purpose. I think the deaths of your counterparts will suffice."

Samul turned away and some of the Osoba began a chant, low at first, gradually building as it went. One of them pulled out one of the flowers.

"You don't have to do this," Trip said. Samul ignored him, instead tearing a lobe off one of the flowers. He passed the flower to the person next to him and joined in the chant.

"Let me talk to them," Trip said, trying to find a way to delay, to buy more time. He tried to walk toward Samul, but he felt hands grab his arms and pull him back.

Someone from beside him whispered, "He can not speak to outsiders once the ceremony begins." Trip glanced in the direction of the voice and saw Beata there.

Trip knew that he didn't have much time. "Talk to me!" he shouted to Samul.

Samul stopped chanting and slowly turned to Trip. He walked to him and silently held out the piece of flower.

Beata spoke again. "He can speak with you if you participate."

Trip shook his head. He looked to Malcolm beside him, and saw his friend staring angrily at Samul.

"He can not speak to you unless you take the drug." Beata frowned. "You will not understand unless you -"

Trip watched in shock as Malcolm reached out and grabbed the flower. Roughly, he tore off one lobe.

"Malcolm," Trip said harshly, and his friend paused. He looked at Trip, and Trip saw a spark of something in his eyes - a mix of amusement, resignation, and determination. Then he took a rough bite, swallowing quickly.

Trip watched as Malcolm frowned, then wavered slightly. After a moment he leaned to one side, catching himself with a quick hand against the rock wall. He blinked rapidly, then his legs went out from under him and he crumpled to the ground.

Samul's laughter echoed off the walls of the small cavern as Trip stepped to Malcolm's side. Malcolm pushed one hand against the floor and Trip helped him sit, slumped against the rough wall, his head hanging down, his eyes closed.

"Malcolm?" Trip asked softly.

Malcolm didn't move. The room had gone quiet around them, the only sounds the sputter of the torch above their heads and Malcolm's ragged breathing.

"Malcolm?" Trip said a bit louder. When he didn't get a response, he reached out a hand and lifted Malcolm's chin. "Open your eyes, Lieutenant."

Malcolm responded by brushing Trip's hand away and letting his head fall forward again.

From his position beside Malcolm, Trip looked up at Samul. "What did you do to him?"

Samul didn't even look at him. His eyes, like those of the rest of the people in the cavern, were riveted on Malcolm. After a moment, Beata knelt beside Trip. In a quiet voice, she said, "Samul will speak with your friend once he gets through the initial stages." She smiled gently. "The first time is the most intense."

Trip rubbed a harsh hand across his face and turned back to Malcolm. Several moments passed before Malcolm opened his eyes and stared blankly at Trip.

"Malcolm?" Trip asked again.

"Mmm?" was Malcolm's response.

Trip looked into his eyes. His friend looked out of it, his eyes shot through with red. "Are you okay?" he finally asked.

Malcolm didn't respond. Trip watched as a bit of dark blood began to trickle from his nose. "You have a bloody nose," he said quietly.

With a shaky hand, Malcolm reached up and wiped away the blood. He stared down at the dark streak across his hand.

Trip heard Samul from above him. "That's a new one."

Malcolm closed his eyes, his brow furrowed. After a moment, he took a deep breath, opening his too-bright eyes as he exhaled. "I feel odd," he said slowly, each word slurring into the next.

Trip leaned in towards him, trying to catch his eye. "You took their drug."

Malcolm nodded, his eyes flitting from Trip, to Beata, to Samul. "I had to," he said as Samul stepped towards him, a wide smile on his face.

"We should leave them," Beata said to Trip. She placed a hand on his arm, but he shrugged her off, standing quickly. As he moved away, he heard Samul begin to speak to Malcolm in low tones.

Trip walked to where Hoshi and Archer were standing, their hands still bound behind them. "You guys all right?" he asked. They both nodded, unable to speak because of their gags. The captain nodded towards Malcolm, lifting an eyebrow in question. Trip shrugged. "He seems pretty well out of it, but Samul is willing to talk to him."

Trip turned as Samul said, "Excellent!" clapping his hands together as his voice rang through the chamber. Then he stood and moved away, leaving Malcolm there on the ground. As he passed Trip, he waved to Archer and Hoshi. "Let them loose." The Osoba nearby untied the two, and Archer ripped away his gag, Hoshi gingerly removing her own.

Samul left the room, the other Osoba flowing out behind him. Trip watched them go and, puzzled, walked to where Malcolm was sitting cross-legged on the ground. Squatting beside his friend, he asked, "What happened?"

Malcolm looked up at him from his place on the floor, his eyes now circled by darkness. "Trip," he said quietly, his voice still slurred.

Trip sat in front of him on the floor.

"You can go," Malcolm said with a soft smile.

"What do you mean?" Trip asked, his voice similarly low. He heard Archer and Hoshi as they moved to stand behind him.

Malcolm looked up at the others. "You can go," he said again.

"Okay," Archer said, kneeling beside them. "Let's get out of here. Trip, can you help Malcolm?"

Malcolm shook his head. "I'm staying."

Trip frowned. "What?"

Malcolm nodded. "It was the only way they'd let you go. I have to stay."

"What?" Trip spat. "Oh, no, no," he said, turning to Archer. "No way, Captain."

"Not his decision," Malcolm said quietly. "It's mine."

Hoshi sat beside Trip, taking one of Malcolm's hands in her own. "You know you can't stay here, Malcolm," she said gently.

"Well, I won't actually be here long," Malcolm said. He laughed softly.

"What do you mean?" Trip asked.

"I'm jumping," Malcolm said.

x-x

_Please review and let me know what you think so far. _


	4. Chapter 4

_This is the final chapter. Thank you all so much for reading, and for your reviews._

x-x

Trip stood in the middle of the cavern, trying to find a way to search the room without being noticed. He surreptitiously glanced at the people closest to him, then stared at them more blatantly. They, like the others in the room, either were in the midst of taking their drug or had recently consumed it. He could probably break out tap dancing and, if they even noticed, they certainly wouldn't care. He started to search in earnest.

After a few minutes, he found their communicators stashed behind some crates, barely hidden and certainly not secured. He looked up to see if anyone was paying him any mind and was just about to pocket the devices when he heard a commotion coming from across the room. He grabbed two communicators just as he heard Archer's loud voice. Turning, he saw Malcolm walk into the room, trailed by Samul and other Osoba. Hoshi and Archer followed, clearly upset.

Trip jammed one of the devices into his hip pocket and palmed the other as he joined the group moving rapidly through the space. "What's going on?" he asked.

"It's time," Archer said, sounding angry.

Trip jumped in front of Malcolm, trying to block his way. Malcolm stopped and the group followed suit. "Malcolm, you can't do this."

"I've no choice." The lieutenant smiled vaguely. "It's fine."

Trip dropped his voice. "That's the drugs talking, not you."

One of the Osoba spoke. "Death is nothing to fear. It's natural."

"This isn't natural," Trip snarled. "You have to see that."

"I'm all right with it," Malcolm said. Trip was about to speak, but Malcolm went on. "No, truly, I am." He leaned close to Trip, his eyes glassy. "It's the only way they'll let you free."

Trip stood there for a second, and Malcolm began to walk away. Frantic, Trip reached out and grabbed Malcolm's arm, stopping him and turning him around. Malcolm smiled slightly, then placed a hand over Trip's, where it rested on his arm. "I have to do this, Trip," he said, then he moved off.

Trip stood there, stunned. He watched Malcolm lead the group into another room, and he heard the chanting begin. He closed his eyes tightly for a brief moment and muttered a bitter expletive before he hurried after them.

He entered the room to see Malcolm with his back to the crowd, already poised on the edge of the pit, where Archer and Hoshi had stood before. He was looking down into the darkness.

Trip tried to go to him but felt himself grabbed and held there beside Archer and Hoshi. He turned again to Malcolm, standing next to the pit, staring down into the depths.

As Trip watched, his heart racing, the chanting stopped. He heard one peal from a gong behind him, the sound echoing through the dim chamber. Flames from the torches on the walls cast a warm light on the rocks, illuminating their group, Malcolm in its center.

The echoes stopped, and there was silence.

Trip, no longer struggling, softly said one word. "Malcolm."

Malcolm looked back over his shoulder. His eyes softened, and he smiled. Then, still looking at Trip, he fell forward.

Trip watched in numb shock as Malcolm disappeared.

Trip felt the crowd lean forward, and the arms restraining him fell away. He lifted his hand to his mouth and spoke in a rush. "Enterprise, transport Reed."

A crewman's voice came across the comm. "Commander?"

"The other communicator," Trip said frantically. "Transport him, damn it! Now!"

"Done," the crewman reported.

"Now get us out of here!" Trip practically shouted. Trip looked at Samul just as he felt the transport take hold.

x-x

"Hey," Trip said, pushing aside the sickbay curtain to reveal Malcolm sitting there, his legs dangling off the edge of the bed. Taking in Malcolm's eyes, still bloodshot and glazed, he realised that his friend was probably still under the influence of the drugs he'd ingested. "How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

Malcolm smiled. "Still pretty blitzed, but thank you for asking."

Trip took a deep breath. "Really, Malcolm. Are you okay?"

Malcolm cocked his head to the side, frowning. After a moment, he answered. "I'm not quite sure."

"Well, what did Phlox say?" Trip asked, taking a seat in the chair beside the bed.

"He said it would take some time to wear off, but no long-term damage."

Trip nodded. "That's good."

"Authorities find Samul and that lot?" Malcolm asked.

"They're working on it. With our transport out, they were able to pinpoint where they were."

Malcolm nodded.

Trip sat in silence for a moment, then shifted uncomfortably. "Can I ask you something?"

Malcolm raised an eyebrow.

"Um, all that, back there." When Malcolm didn't respond, Trip continued. "When you jumped. No, before that - I felt like you really meant to..." He shifted in his chair. "I mean, did you really want to die back there?"

"Want to?" Malcolm paused, thinking. "By that point I was resigned to it."

Trip frowned. "Had you thought about it before?"

"Dying?"

Trip nodded.

Malcolm thought a moment. "I don't think about it all the time, but, with my job, it's part of my thoughts. So, yes." Malcolm stared at Trip for a moment, then said, "So, what next? Suicide watch?"

"What?" Trip said in alarm. When he saw Malcolm's amused expression, he sighed heavily. "Don't joke about that."

"No. Sorry," Malcolm said, suddenly serious. "Gallows humor."

They sat in silence for a while.

"It's not needed, right?" Trip asked.

"What?" Malcolm replied, seeming puzzled.

"The suicide watch. You're not trying to tell me anything, are you?"

"No," Malcolm said, looking chagrined.

"Good," Trip said firmly.

"Nice trick, by the way," Malcolm said after a moment, clearly trying to change the subject. "Slipping the communicator in my pocket when you touched my arm."

Trip smiled. "Liked that, did you?"

"Loved it, actually," Malcolm said. "I was hoping that you'd come through somehow."

"Did you know I'd done it?"

"No," Malcolm answered. "More hoped that something would happen." He grimaced. "Took a leap of faith, as it were."

Trip nodded.

"Thank you," Malcolm said, completely serious.

"You owe me one," Trip replied. He stood to leave, and clasped a hand on Malcolm's arm. "Next time I decide to jump off a cliff or something, you pull me back up, you hear?"

Malcolm nodded. "Consider it done."

x-x

_Please review and let me know what you think. Thank you._


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